Better Left Unseen
by CSIdestiny
Summary: A piece of Calleigh's and Eric's past is uncovered when their now 15 year old daughter comes across it on the internet. Pieces are put together, things are realized, making their lives a whole lot difficult. Sequel to Patterns of Love. R
1. Welcome To The Jungle

**Title: **Better Left Unknown / Unseen (Rewrite)

**Author: **CSIdestiny

**Timeline: **Season 7/Season8

**Summary: **_A piece of Calleigh's and Eric's past is uncovered when their now 15 year old daughter comes across it on the internet. Jayden begins to put pieces together, remembering little things from the past and ultimately things that were "swept under the rug" by her parents long ago. All of this together makes Calleigh and Eric's life a whole lot difficult than it already is. _

**Author Note: **_It's been a long time since I've written anything new for fanfiction, and I really miss writing for this show. I hate that the show got cancelled :( Anyway, I began reading over the first story and realized that it was a little rushed and I didn't really get my complete thoughts out. I really appreciate the reviews on that story and I really hope you all accept this fanfiction the same. New readers, I hope you enjoy this ff and possibly read the first 2 fanfictions to give you somewhat of a backstory. This is __not__ a __**random **__fanfiction about Calleigh and Eric having a teenage daughter and how things are complicated in their lives. _

_I do not own any characters but my own. :) Enjoy._

**-Chapter 1-**

"**_Welcome to the Jungle"_**

It had been a while since the Miami sun shone as bright as it did and no matter how much she tried, she couldn't enjoy it. She never understood how people _enjoyed _the hot sun on them. It wasn't that she hated sunshine, but for as long as she could remember, Jayden had always been fascinated with storms, intrigued by hurricanes, but over the last few days, Miami had been blessed by the beautiful sunshine...something that dozens of tourists looked forward to every year.

The sun was definitely hottest on the beach; with no trees to shield the sand, the sun's heat rays seemed to get trapped in the sand, making it hot, even through the thick soles of running shoes. Yes, she wasn't at the beach for pleasure today, she was here to run, alongside her mother...one of their weekly mother-daughter runs.

It was easily one of the cheesiest things that she and her mother did, but all else seemed to fail. They'd planned mother-daughter breakfast/brunch, preparing or take out, but more often than not, neither could commit. Either Jayden didn't want to wake early or Calleigh always got called out to early morning crime scenes. They then tried mother-daughter book club: one week, they'd read one of Jayden's favorites, the next they'd read one of Calleigh's favorites. That didn't work; Calleigh wouldn't read _Twilight _and Jayden didn't want to read any of Calleigh's romance-crime books. The run seemed to be one of the only things that could work; it was early, but not too early and both loved the fact that they could clear their minds while spending time with each other.

But still, the beach was a totally different different story. Unlike the solidness of pavement, sand was uneven, making it difficult to walk on. Each step Jayden took, it felt as if she was sinking into quick sand, and if she felt like this while walking, she could only imagine what it would be like to run in it. Maybe she should say something. There was a path not far from the beach...they could still enjoy all of the spoils of being on the beach minus the sand.

"Jade," Calleigh said, pulling Jayden out of her thoughts. She could tell by the way Jayden cut her eyes to her. Calleigh always wondered what Jayden thought about. Jayden was a critical and analytical thinker, something Jayden picked up from her. Like her, Jayden knew every action had a consequence, either good or bad, and like Calleigh, whatever Jayden thought about, she wouldn't commit unless it was a complete thought. "What are you thinking about?"

A gentle breeze blew through Jayden's hair, sending waves of medium brown hair into the air. She pushed her hair away from her tanned face—a complexion she'd gotten from her dad- and tucked it behind her ear. Her entire life, she'd been told that she was beautiful. At fifteen years old, Jayden seemed to be the perfect blend of both her parents: Eric's tanned skin, his hair, Calleigh's physique, Jayden's eyes turning a slight olive when she was curious, Eric's brown eyes in everyday life...Personality wise, Jayden definitely had her dad's sensitivity, maybe just a little more...more than she really wanted.

"Nothing, Jayden mumbled quietly.

"Okay," Calleigh said, a small smirk evident on her face. She'd taken noticed of the lack of interest many times her daughter had for running. She'd gotten used to it, but one part of her couldn't understand why. She and Eric enjoyed running, they found it relaxing and Landon enjoyed it. The other part Calleigh loved seeing Jayden's dislike for it. Ultimately, she loved spending time with her daughter. "Well you might want to start stretching, you don't want to be too tight."

Jayden smirked, wanting to say "_that's what she said." _to her mom's statement. Her little inside joke gave her a little energy, making her a little happier to be out here. She pulled her hair into a tight ponytail and began the small warm up.

Somewhere in a ten minute spam of time, Calleigh had run so far ahead that Jayden had no plan on catching up. She really didn't have a problem with it...she much rather stay back and enjoy the scenery. It wasn't that she disliked running, she was always most comfortable jogging, taking small strides, just taking her time.

The sun peeked through the small cloud in the sky, glinting light off an object as Jayden passed the lifeguard tower. It was enough to get her attention and based off the sparkly, shiny glare, Jayden summed it up to be a diamond –real or fake– it was definitely enough to catch her eye.

Cautiously, Jayden jogged over to the tower to find out exactly what it was. She couldn't help it; just like her parents, she was curious and curiosity always got the best of her, whether good or bad. This time it was definitely one of the bad times...her eyes opened wide in horror and shock as she let out a terrified scream...

* * *

**A/N: **_I'm very aware that this chapter is really short, so its really not considered a chapter. I wanted to post it up and see what you all think. I want to continue but I want to make sure that it's worth continuing. The previous version of this fanfiction had 30 chapters and 226 reviews. I just hope you all accept this one the same. :) Thanks in advance. _


	2. Death and a Delko

_**-**_**Chapter 2-**

_** "Death and a Delko"**_

It was times like these why Jayden didn't watch horror movies; they were too gruesome for her own taste, and that mixed with her ultra sensitive personality would cause her to have nightmares for the rest of her life.

Some time after the initial contact with the lifeless body and the time after, Jayden didn't know how to process what happened. Like a movie on fast forward, the frames trotted through her mind, filtering flashbacks of something familiar. Jayden didn't remember much from the incident when she was just a toddler, but remembered enough to connect the two incidents in her mind even though they were unrelated.

Jayden sighed. She sat in the back of a police car, blanket over her shoulders and feet on the sand. Her own mother wasn't far away, shaking her head saying, what Jayden could make out, "she shouldn't have seen this." Jayden sighed again, this time for the way she knew her mother felt about her. Jayden absolutely hated feeling delicate, hypersensitive...and at times, she wished she had her mother's personality.

"Jade?" Calleigh said, once again pulling Jayden out of her thoughts. She took noticed at how Jayden tensed. She bit softly on her lips to find the right words to say. "I'm sorry that you witnessed what you did." She couldn't imagine what kind of scarring this incident had done to her daughter's already fragile emotions.

Tears filled Jayden's eyes and she tried blinking them away. She did not want her mom to see her cry. Her mom would ask her if she knew this girl personally...if that were the reason she was crying, and Jayden would have to say no, because she didn't. Even though the girl had been removed from the scene, images of this girl's lifeless and pale body still tormented her mind. That thought brought on a set of fresh tears.

Jayden looked at Calleigh and was greeted by Calleigh's sympathetic eyes...the ones that always held empathy and sorrow. Jayden bit the inside of her cheek, keeping her tears at bay. Her mother's empathy stare was almost too much. "I'm fine," Jayden said finally, even though she was lying. She knew her mother knew, but thought it would be worth a shot. "Really I am."

Calleigh knew well enough to know that Jayden wasn't and moved closer to her. "It's okay if you're not," she said softly. "It's natural to feel...scared. Lots of people are freaked out when something like this happens."

Jayden looked towards the lifeguard tower where the girl's body was found. She couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears flowed freely from her eyes.

"It's okay Jade," Calleigh said, wrapping her arms around Jayden. "Everything is going to be okay." Calleigh herself had become accustomed to seeing dead bodies, but she knew exactly how Jayden felt. She wanted to become an officer, someone who served and protected the public...she remembered her first case, she was about twenty-three years old. The victim was stabbed to death. Sure she'd seen cases like this on tv, but looking at the victim with her own eyes, the smell of rotting flesh hitting her nose...it was enough to turn her stomach and burn images of that into her head for the rest of her life. Although seeing dead bodies now didn't affect her as it once did, Calleigh often felt the pang of sadness associated with the loss of life.

**...**

Still shaken from the mishaps of the day, Jayden decided to sit down to her homework. It was terrible if it was that bad to do her homework. It wasn't that she hated school–she excelled in it– but when she need homework to get her mind off of things...that's when it was crazy.

Laying her books across her desk, she summed up which subjects would be easier and which ones would be harder; History would probably be the most difficult...not because she thought it was hard, but because this week's assignment was about family history and that was something she didn't know much about. Although Jayden knew most of the family on her dad's side, she didn't know much about the Duquesnes' except her grandfather was a lawyer and mostly all of them resided in Louisiana. Jayden had asked her mother once before what brought her to Miami, and was given the answer "career change." She questioned her mother further, asking if she missed her family. For as long as Jayden could remember, none of the family trips included going to see the Duquesnes' and if it were her, she'd miss her family. Her mother never answered yes or no but said that she keeps in contact with them. Jayden figured her mother didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Jayden shook off the little memory and turned on her computer. If she couldn't get information out of her mom, the internet had to provide some information. Once on Google, she typed "Duquesne" into the search bar and the results came back in record time. The first topic was about a university, then a road. Her eyes scrolled the page until she saw the headline "Tragedy hits Miami." The information underneath read "Day care explosion claims seven lives. CSIs Eric Delko and Calleigh **Duquesne's **daughter is said to be among the dead."

Jayden already knew about the story, but seeing it in print made her heart drop into her stomach. Her heart went out to the victims. It gave her chills that one man trying to kill her mother would go as far as to kill six innocent people. Truthfully, she hated her parents job. It always caused her to worry about people coming after them. The way she felt, if it happened once already, it could happen again.

She shook the feeling away, a skimmed further. Her eyes caught the headline, "Dirty Little Secret." She clicked the link before her mind had time to think. It was an understatement to say she was shocked at what she saw. She was embarrassed...for herself and her parents. Never in a million years did she think she would ever see her parents intimate like that. Sure she heard them a few times when they thought the kids were sleep, but never anything like this. She closed the entire internet all together. If she had problems getting the morning images out of her head, she definitely didn't have a problem now. She only wondered if she would be able to sleep with the new images of her parents in her head. Regardless, she would definitely discuss the video tomorrow with her parents.

* * *

**A/N:**_ I want to say thanks to everyone who's reviewed this story so far! You guys are so amazing! :) The next chance for an update will be this weekend. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. :)_


	3. Awkward Moment When

-Chapter 3-

_**"Awkward Moment When..."**_

Jayden battled with her mind on whether or not she should tell her parents about what she saw about them on the internet. After all, they held the highest integrity when it came to their profession...she knew they definitely wouldn't approve of a very _personal _video of them online. She wondered if they knew it was uploaded...they had to. It was the internet; everybody used the internet. Jayden's heart dropped in her stomach at her next realization; what if her parents knew it was on the internet and were into that kind of stuff...

That thought left her mind as soon as it entered it. Of course they wouldn't be into that kind of stuff...it was so unlikely. She couldn't understand why it was on the internet. Did her parents post the video? Why did they make a video in the first place? Did they know how many people could see it? After all it was a public. Maybe it wasn't a video of them after all. But then it had to be them...that's how she found the video in the first place. How could she be sure though? Jayden only got a glimpse of the video before she shut the internet off in shame, and from what she could remember, the video was dark and gritty, the camera was unsteady as if a third party was recording the entire thing –which immediately ruled out a tripod being used– which meant one of two things, they didn't _know _they were being recorded or someone was filming their little movie. Of course her parents wouldn't have someone film them, as private as they were, they would do it themselves, and since she already ruled that out, Jayden's first thought won over.

This startling revelation sent chills down Jayden's spine as goosebumps popped up on her arms. Was there a stalker in the area? What kind of people was he or she targeting in the neighborhood? Had this person videotaped her and her brother? Were they all targets? Did this have anything to do with the dead girl on the beach yesterday? Maybe she broke the case. Jayden had to tell her parents immediately.

Her thoughts were interrupted with the familiarity of light click of heels on the hardware floor. Her mom would make her way into the kitchen soon. Tucking her thoughts away, Jayden put a smile on her face. She would get through this.

"Hey sweetie," Calleigh said, cheerfulness evident in her voice. "How did you sleep?"

"Good," Jayden said quietly. She looked at her watch, noting the time at 7:25. This would be the moment that would change their lives.."Mama..." she began, but trailed off. Maybe it would be better if her dad was present too. After all, this included him too.

It was too late; Calleigh had already turned around and directed all her attention to Jayden. "Yes Jade." Calleigh had already picked up the concern and/or curiousness in Jayden's voice.

"Uhm," Jayden started. She looked to the window as if it held answers. "Well, Dad has to be here for this too."

No sooner that the words left her mouth, Eric walked into the kitchen. "Here for what?" He said, now as anxious and curious as Calleigh. A hint of worry was present in his voice as well.

Jayden looked from Eric to Calleigh; both sets of eyes deadlocked on hers. Calleigh frowned a little, urging Jayden to go ahead and say what she needed to say.

Jayden looked away; their glare was so intense, she couldn't take it. Maybe she shouldn't have opened her mouth to say anything. This could have been a normal morning. But if she didn't say anything and there was a stalker out there, what if somebody else got hurt? What if they were watching her? What if they came after her because she knew too much?

"Jayden," Calleigh said, touching Jayden's arm. "What's going on?"

Jayden swallowed. "Well...it's nothing." Her eyes fell to the floor as she searched for words. "I just wanted to tell you both that I love you." As much as she hated this situation, it needed some investigation. Plus, she was still too embarrassed to tell her parents.

Eric looked at his own watch, realizing that it was starting to get late and that they needed to be out of the house in five minutes. "Well..." he began, mimicking Jayden. "We love you too, but whatever it is, we're talking about it later."

Jayden let out a puff of air. With school taking up most of the day, how was she supposed to figure out what was going on in the short amount of time she was allowed?

…

_ . . ... _The repetitiveness of gunshots and the empty shells dropping on the floor was just enough to put Calleigh at ease, just like old times. She was in the ballistics lab test firing and comparing bullets used in an open case that the team were currently in the process of solving. She didn't like the fact that Jayden was holding something back from her. Calleigh didn't know if it was because of built up emotions from yesterday or something else...and the unknowing was something that didn't sit well with her. She never wanted her children to experience the silent agony of not having anyone – let along their parents – to talk to.

She recalled her own past; there were so many secrets she kept from her parents...not that she wanted to, but who would listen? Whenever her dad wasn't working, he was partying, getting drunk, and her mom was right alongside him, never taking on any responsibility in the house. Sure it was nice at times, but the lack of authority and parental control ultimately took its toll on her.

The door of the lab opened, shaking Calleigh from her thoughts. Seeing that it was Ryan, Calleigh removed her protective gear to give the results of this particular case. "You know Ryan, I would have written the report, but seeing how you rushed down here to ballistics...well, I guess some things never change," Calleigh joked.

Ryan cocked his head sideways, in a way that he's always done when he was preparing a sarcastic remark. "You know," Ryan began, with a slight smile on his face, "I was going to say the same thing." He gestured his left arm around as if he were presenting a group of people. "We all know by now when Calleigh is upset."

Calleigh rolled her eyes playfully. Their friendly banter over the years had developed into a deep, meaningful friendship. It wasn't just Ryan though; Calleigh developed strong kinship with most of the veteran team and even some of the new trainees.

"What's bothering you?" Ryan said, breaking Calleigh from her thoughts once again.

In a matter of seconds, so many thoughts ran through Calleigh's head. She wasn't sure what was bothering her, and when she did, she would rather go to Eric with it more than anybody else. "I'm fine," Calleigh said, dismissing the fact that she was anything less. By now, she was good at it. Changing subjects, she turned her attention to the evidence. "Striations were a match, so I think we have a winner. I'll have the report ready later today."

"Okay," Ryan said, understanding that the personal side of their conversation ended.

**…**

"What are you doing?"

Jayden jumped a little and turned around. "Landon," she breathed. "You were supposed to be at baseball practice."

"I can tell you where you're not supposed to be," Landon retorted playfully, taking immediate notice at what was going on here. "Mom and Dad aren't here so you do this?"

"This is important," Jayden said, looking up once more at her brother. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Landon was only thirteen. For his age, he was somewhat mature, but Jayden associated that with the nature of their parents' job; it sometimes set them apart from other teenagers their age...life was always just a little bit more 'real' for them.

"Yeah right," Landon smirked. He tilted his head to the side, a smile forming at his lips. "So tell me. What is so important that you have to go through Mom and Dad's room. Because when they find out, you're going to be in so much trouble." He dragged 'trouble' out–almost singing it– as if he was six years old.

And then there were times like this when Landon, at least to Jayden, seemed very immature. Truthfully, she didn't care. Being older, Jayden liked to feel like the older sibling, but more often than not, that role was often given to Landon.

It might have had something to do with appearances; At thirteen, Landon was already taller than their mother and her; He was very athletic, which sped up most of his awkward puberty stage, his voice was pretty much normal, but when he was excited or nervous, his voice was high, which in many ways became the telltale sign that he'd done something bad, and that usually got him in trouble.

Landon nodded is head, dragging Jayden out of her trance.

Jayden knew Landon was right; she would be in trouble, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing so. She turned her attention back to the bedroom door. "Well its none of your business, and I won't be in trouble if you would just leave me alone for a sec."

Landon threw his hands in the air, silently stating that if anything happened, he would have nothing to do with it.

Jayden shook it off and checked her watch; she allowed herself ten minutes, hopefully less, in this room. She turned the knob on the door and it opened with ease. With a deep breath, Jayden traveled into the room, Landon right on her heels.

"For someone who doesn't want any part of this, you sure are nosy," Jayden jested, heading towards the computer desk. "If anything happens, I'm bringing you down too."

Landon rolled his eyes. "If you tell me what you're looking for, I can help you."

Jayden stopped and thought for a moment. Maybe she should tell him. After all, he was part of this family. This could affect him too. Plus, if he knew what they were looking for, it would speed up this process and they could just find it and get it over with. "Okay," Jayden started. "But you have to promise not to tell. Like you can't tell anyone because if you do, a lot of people could get hurt...like Mom and Dad."

Landon eyes lit up for a second, but soon curiosity overtook his mind. He began sorting things out with his hands, the way he always did when things were getting confusing. First, he couldn't understand if it was so serious, why hadn't his parents already known about this? Especially if it was something that could hurt them. Secondly, how did Jayden know about it already? "So let me get this straight. You think our parents are in danger?" he pulled out his cell phone, "because if that's the case, I think we should tell them immediately."

Jayden snatched Landon's phone from him, checking first to make sure he hadn't already dialed one of them. "NO, that's not what I'm saying." She thought over her words carefully. "I don't know if they really are. It's just that...online...there's...well somebody posted a personal video of them." She held her head down. "I don't know if they know about it."

"How personal?" Landon questioned.

"Very," Jayden said, grateful that at least somebody else knew. "I just need help-"

"What's the website?" Landon questioned.

Jayden frowned. "Why is that important?"

"Because, I want to see for myself. I mean, how personal can it be?"

Jayden looked down. "It's a sex video," she mumbled quietly.

Landon gasped more loudly than he intended. "Well..." he searched for the words to say. "How long have you known?"

"I just found out last night," Jayden said, sighing. "I don't know. We have to do something. That's why I came in here to see if there were any evidence that would lead to what I know."

Landon made a face, confused over Jayden's actions. "So you thought..." he began, searching for words. "So you thought if you found...Jayden you are not a criminalist. Exactly what were you going to do if you found this incriminating evidence?"

Jayden sat on the edge of their parents bed defeated. "I don't know." In all honestly, she didn't. She just wanted some answers to her questions _before_ she told her parents what she saw. Maybe it was something they did before the kids were born. As distasteful as it was videotaping or being videotaped having sex, somebody had to pull this down, and the realizations that she couldn't do anything about it was disheartening.

Landon sighed. He wasn't intentionally trying to hurt his sister's feelings. He walked over to the bed, sat down next to Jayden and put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry Jayden. I understand. We're going to have to tell them, okay? I mean, if it's public, we don't want our friends to see it. I mean come on, its our parents..."

"I know," Jayden agreed. And right there, she inadvertently turned this situation over to Landon. She understood why her parents always coddled her and treated him like the oldest; she was too sensitive and over thought everything. Landon put things in the simplest prospective...she couldn't understand why she didn't think about it earlier.

"Maybe we should-" Landon spoke, but was cut off by the front door.

Jayden's mind immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was a burglar, but their mom's voice dismissed that idea. The way the house was built made it impossible to just sneak out their parents' room without being caught. It was the worst case scenario to be in right now.

"See," Jayden whispered. "We're busted, we're going to be in so much trouble. What are they going to think? What are they going to do?"

Landon rolled his eyes. "Be quiet, I have an idea."

* * *

x x x

**A/N: **_I have begun to introduce some of the old team, yes I'm bringing back all of our favorites. Even the hated ones like Stetler, although he won't be as much of a pain as he was before. Landon is finally introduced in the story. This chapter is meant to be somewhat light. With Jayden's sensitivity, I'm attempting to shed some light to why she is. Everyone knows the traumatic experience she endured as a toddler and I'm trying to write what effect that has on her now. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review :)_


	4. Double Standards

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter! They means so much to me :) x I am trying to take my time and present a well, thought-out story. Side note, I found it extremely ironic that at this point in my FF, there is the situation about Eric and Calleigh's video online, however, more publicly, Adam Rodriguez is practically naked and shaking his ass in Magic Mike. Lmao. Can't say that I didn't like the movie. It was nice...I just couldn't believe I saw him like that. It makes it hard to ever look at him on CSI:Miami the same. LOL :P

-**Chapter 4-**

"_**Double Standards"**_

"It may be time for your dad and I to sit down and talk to you guys about the importance of privacy," Calleigh said, folding her arms across her chest. She unfolded them and sat down on the couch, "mind telling me why you both were in our room in the first place?"

Landon threw his head back, immediately thinking about the events of the past fifteen minutes.

_After Jayden told him what she'd found on their parents, Landon couldn't help but feel his heart drop in his stomach. It was his parents; what would his friends think? What if they knew about it all along? Was that why they always wanted to come over? Just the thought made him shudder. Jayden's voice brought him out of his thoughts. _

"_I just found out last night," she'd said. Sighing, she began talking again. "I don't know. We have to do something. That's why I came in here to see if there were any evidence that would lead to what I know."_

_And before Landon had a chance to think about what he was saying, words slipped out of his mouth. His words brought tears to his sister's eyes and he'd taken noticed at how defeated she looked. He didn't mean to kill her spirit. If she thought she could do this, who was he to tell her otherwise?In an attempt to comfort her, he sat down on the bed beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "We're going to have to tell them, okay? I mean, if it's public, we don't want out friends to see it. I mean come on, it's out parents."_

"_I know," Jayden agreed somberly. _

_Failed attempt at trying to make her feel better. Jayden probably didn't even want to tell them now. _

"_Maybe we should-" Landon began, formulating a plan. He was interrupted by a sound coming from downstairs. It was their mother._

"_See," Jayden whispered, panic evident in her voice. "We're busted, we're going to be in so much trouble. What are they going to think? What are they going to do?"_

_He rolled his eyes. "Be quiet, I have an idea."_

_Standing up from the bed, Landon walked over to the window. Yeah, it was two stories from the ground and going to the extremes seemed ridiculous, but at this point, he didn't care about danger; he wanted to prove that he could get himself out of anything. _

_Plus, he knew their parents wouldn't be expecting him home, he could climb down, open the front door which would take the attention off the stairs, which would allow Jayden time to escape._

_At the moment that he was going to climb out, Eric got out the car, looked up at the house and headed towards the front door. They were trapped. No way out of this. "Hide!" Landon said, in a failed attempt...it was too late. Their mother was already up the stairs and in the room with them..._

"Well," Landon started. "You guys never said we _couldn't_ go in your room."

Calleigh raised an eyebrow; before she said anything, Eric came in from the kitchen – knowledge about this conversation known before hand...he'd overheard them talking.

"Does this have anything to do with this morning?" Eric asked, looking directly at Jayden. He just had to know how much he was dealing with.

All eyes were on Jayden; She inhaled deeply. "Yes." She looked from Eric to Calleigh. "We..." she looked at Landon. She didn't mean to bring him in this. If someone was going to get in trouble, it should be her...all by herself. "It was my idea. Landon didn't know."

"Didn't know what?" Calleigh chided, a hint of anger in her voice. Realizing that she was coming off as aggressive, she sighed and relaxed her body. "Jayden, what's going on?"

Jayden swallowed; a lump of hurt formed in her throat. It didn't take an expert to realize that her mom was annoyed. She looked away as she began gathering words. "I saw your video," she said quietly... simply. The words were directed more so to the floor than her mother.

As quiet as Jayden thought she was, Calleigh heard and understood what video she was talking about. She ran a hand through her hair and sat back. "Where?"

"Online."

Calleigh rubbed her lips together –a nervous habit– and nodded her head.

Now Jayden was confused. She looked at Landon and then at both of their parents. They didn't seem surprise about this at all. Her heart dropped in her stomach. They made the video after all. How could they do something so degrading? If it was a personal collection, fine...but why did they have to share it online? As popular as the internet is, didn't they ever think that someone would find out?

"Jayden," Calleigh called, pulling Jayden from her thoughts. She looked at Landon once she had Jayden's attention. "I'm sorry that you both saw that. Just so you know, your dad and I are just as repulsed about it as you are." It would be an understatement to say that Calleigh was embarrassed. Each and every time the video had made its appearance in their life, she was embarrassed and the fact that their children now knew of the video it was terrible.

"Why did you guys make the video in the first place?" Landon asked very bluntly. A look from his parents let him know that maybe he shouldn't have asked that question. His mouth always got him in trouble...

Jayden had a slight smirk on her face. Of course she wouldn't be as blunt as Landon, but she wanted to know too. She was anxiously awaiting an answer.

Calleigh held her gaze on Landon just a little bit longer than necessary. It wasn't out of anger...it was her trying to figure out what was going through his mind. She and Eric always reminded the kids to never assume and here was Landon _assuming _that his parents put this out. She shifted her attention, softening her expression. She knew they were curious. Realizations started to come to her; _They were looking for something...in their room looking for proof that she and Eric made these videos. _She couldn't keep this to herself. Calleigh sat up. "You guys were in our room looking for some kind of proof that we made the video, huh?" Calleigh accused. "Why didn't you guys just come to us immediately?

"We're here to help you through any problems that you have," Eric added. "You guys don't have to go through things alone. We tell you that all the time."

Jayden felt like this was all of her fault. Maybe she should've brought it up this morning before it got as far as it did. "I'm sorry." she mumbled quietly.

Calleigh let out an inaudible sigh; she didn't want sto come down too hard on Jayden or Landon. After all, they were just curious, it was their nature...in their DNA. She relaxed. "Years ago, I was being targeted by a criminal." She chose her words carefully. "This criminal videotaped your dad and I while we were together. The video got distributed with the intentions to hurt me and your dad. No need to worry though," she said, looking at Jayden, "the guys that planned this are no longer a worry." She looked at Eric, he looked at her; and just like that, their minds were in sync. The video always found its way around, whenever a crisis was about to happened. It was time to do some investigation of their own.

"How many years ago did this happen?" Jayden asked, breaking Eric and Calleigh from their thoughts.

"Just before you were born," Calleigh said. "What site did you find the video?" Calleigh had already begun to think about how they were going to tackle this.

Jayden shrugged her shoulders; she really didn't know. Looking at her mother and realizing Calleigh wasn't going to accept a shoulder shrug, Jayden began talking. "I was doing a family heritage project for a class, and I typed your last name in the search and the video showed up in the results."

Calleigh nodded her head and rubbed her lips together seemingly satisfied with that answer. "Okay."

Eric looked at Calleigh, signaling that they had work to do. Closing up the conversation before anymore questions could arise, he began talking. "Your mom and I are going to take care of this," he began. "Now let's eat."

Standing, he headed to the kitchen. He and Calleigh would take care of this after dinner.

* * *

A/N: Please read and review :) x it means so much. I hope everyone has had a great weekend; Have a great week!


	5. Betrayal and Lies

_Thanks everyone for the reviews. They are very encouraging (: x_**  
**

**-Chapter 5-**

_"__**Betrayal and Lies"**_

Eric gripped the sheets tightly longing to have Calleigh in his arms. He heard the shower going and knew Calleigh was in there. Glancing at the clock, he noted the time at 4:03am...too early to be doing anything.. He let out a deep sigh. If there was anything he knew about his wife was that if she was up this early it was because she was either too upset to sleep, or sick and while she hadn't been sick in a while, he knew the other option was a possibility.

The last few weeks had been trying. Jayden and Landon had found out about the video...they were still coming to terms with accepting the fact that it happened and still embarrassed at times. The entire family were grateful that it wasn't online anymore, thanks to the help from CSI. In many ways, Calleigh and Eric were happy that the video was gone, but in searching the IP address of the original posting, it opened a brand new can of worms.

The home associated with the IP address that sent the video caused Eric's heart to drop. He couldn't tell Calleigh immediately; he needed some answers himself. He wanted to know if this was real, and if it was, why did Alex Sharova post this video? Better yet, Eric wanted to know why.

Calleigh crept up in A/V before Eric could have a chance to realize that she was there. He soft voice brought him out of his deep thoughts.

"_Did you get anything?" Calleigh questioned. "Who is it?" From the intense stare of Eric's eyes, she knew he found something and it was probably something that both of them wouldn't like. Who was it this time? They'd need to start immediately on a plan of action in order to have the best protection for their family. _

_Eric stared into lab, his mouth half opened. As much as he didn't want to show his reactions over this news, he couldn't help it. Emotions were all over his face and he knew Calleigh picked up on it. He closed his mouth and clutched his jaw. "My dad," he muttered. _

_It took Calleigh only moments to understand who he meant. Before she could have a chance to react, Eric spoke again. _

"_Look, I'm going to get to the bottom of this," Eric began. "I...we need some answers."_

_Calleigh thought for a moment. It was happening again and unlike last time, she didn't want this to end with some shoot out. They had a family this time...she didn't want it that way. "No."_

"_Calleigh I have to," Eric said. He already knew what Calleigh's reaction would be. Looking at the table, he thumbed the manila folder. "I'm going to see him tonight."_

_Calleigh raised her eyes. This was not happening. Was Sharova in Miami all of this time? As dangerous as he is, he could have been watching their children...he could have been waiting for an attack, after all, the video was uploaded via his home computer. Worst of all, Eric talked about going to see him...as if this was casual. "Do you keep in contact with Alex Sharova?"_

_Eric knew that question was coming. He let out a breath of air. "Cal, he's still my father. I see him from time to time."_

_Calleigh snapped her head away, glancing around the lap. She couldn't believe what she'd heard. Not wanting to cause any trouble at work, she mumbled 'we'll talk about this at home' and walked out the lab. _

**…**

_Dinner that night had been quiet outside from the occasional whispers of Jayden and Landon. Calleigh looked at Eric...his mind seemed years away from them. She wanted to talk to him right then and there; she wanted to know why. He said he would stopped all contact with this dangerous man, and after all this time, Eric still kept in contact with him? They promised years ago that they would tell each other everything. Why did he keep this from her?_

"_Mom," Landon said, breaking Calleigh from her thoughts. Once he'd gained her attention, he started talking. "Are we doing something fun this weekend?"_

"_We'll see." Calleigh said simply. Her glance was on Eric once again. As far as she knew, Eric still planned to visit Alex and she wanted to talk to him about it, only she didn't want to do it right here...not in front of their kids. Calleigh tore her eyes away. _

_Eric was focused on his dinner; he didn't want to talk about it and understood that he was probably making a bad situation worse by not talking about it but in due time, Calleigh would know everything. His cell phone ringing in the living room gave a refreshing break...at least for Jayden and Landon. They'd been aware of the mounting tension. "Excuse me," Eric whispered, getting up from the table. _

_Calleigh followed him; not because she didn't trust him, but because she knew what the call was about, and this was probably going to be her only chance to talk Eric out of leaving tonight. "Eric..."_

"_Cal," Eric began, already knowing what Calleigh was about to say. "I have to go...he needs me."_

"_Eric, you and I both know that he's a dangerous man," Calleigh said. She glanced around, making sure the kids weren't eavesdropping. _

"_Cal, it won't be like the last time. I promise."_

_Calleigh rolled her eyes; "How so?" she challenged before she could have time to think. Last time she almost killed Eric...she couldn't bare to think about what could happen this time around. He shouldn't even want to get involved with this man. After all, the stakes were higher – they had Jayden and Landon to think about – and she couldn't fathom what she would do if something happened to them. Why couldn't Eric see that as well?_

_Eric's nostrils flared and he clutched his jaw. It was always the telltale sign that he was getting angry. This was HIS dad, regardless of what he was into and if he needed his help, Calleigh had to understand that. In an attempt to calm down, he let out a sigh. "Calleigh, this is my dad. It's not like I can sit back and do nothing. He need my help."_

_Calleigh rolled her eyes again. Thinking over her words, she spoke. "So even though you know he's dangerous, you're willing to risk all of our lives for him? Is that what you're saying?"_

_Eric raised his eyebrow. Clearly Calleigh was turning this into an argument. He didn't like that. He looked around to make sure that Jayden and Landon weren't listening or watching. "I'm trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong here. I mean, when your dad needed you, I didn't pass any judgments. I understood that you had business to take care of and I was willing to help you in every way possible. I don't see the same support coming from you." Indeed it was a low blow but Calleigh had to understand how he was feeling. _

_It wasn't necessary Eric's words that got to Calleigh, it was the fact that he knew the circumstances that surrounded her dad. Her dad was battling alcoholism, not an international mob. As far as Calleigh thought, Eric didn't care to understand that. _

Calleigh hadn't said a word to him since that moment and that what bothered him the most. He loved Calleigh, loved Jayden and Landon. He loved his parents...loved his entire family, but there was something different about Sharova. He was his birth father and maybe Calleigh didn't understand that...she didn't have to. She didn't have those problems.

Eric let out a sigh. Going to Sharova didn't offer any valuable information either. The old man claimed that someone broke into his apartment and posted the video from his computer. He didn't know who, when or how. When asked if it was someone that he knew, Sharova claimed that he didn't know them, saying that he'd cut all ties with the Russians years ago. As far if he knew of anyone who wanted to harm Eric and his family, he had no ideas.

The shower stopped. For a moment, Eric had forgotten that Calleigh was in the bathroom. He glanced at the clock. 4:35am. Footsteps were outside the door. A moment later the door between the room and bathroom opened. Yellow light flooded the dark room and Eric squeezed his eyes shut. He opened them again slowly, adjusting to the light. Calleigh came into the room...damped hair and a white towel wrapped around her body. On any other given day, he'd get up, flirt a little, play a little until it led them back to square one, but today, based on her stance, Eric could tell that she was pissed. From the squint of his eyes, he saw Calleigh look towards the bed and very quickly, she turned her head. She was definitely mad at him.

Aggression was set well within Calleigh as she continued on her morning duties. Her mind was racing a million miles a minute and as much as she really didn't want to speak to Eric right now, he needed to get up now or else they would have a late start to the day and right now, the last thing she needed, was Rick to make a comment about their tardiness. Plus she didn't want Jayden and Landon to know that they were at this point even though she was pretty sure they already knew.

"Eric," Calleigh said, slightly above a whisper.

In a child-like manner, Eric shuffled in bed, pretending to be coming out of his sleep. Finally he opened his eyes and swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up. "Good morning," he said hoarsely. He stood and headed towards the bathroom.

"Morning," Calleigh said simply as Eric walked passed her towards the bathroom.

Despite how vague she was, at least she was speaking now, Eric thought. He spent fifteen minutes in the shower trying to figure out how he would approach this much needed conversation. By the time he'd gotten out of the bathroom, Calleigh was half-dressed and putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup. He let out a breath of air. Eric was pretty sure he was about to light a fuse that would start an explosion but he couldn't go to work with this unresolved. "Calleigh, are you mad at me?"

Calleigh let out a deep sigh. Where would she begin? "How come you didn't tell me about Sharova? I didn't know you had a relationship with him."

Eric exhaled. "Calleigh, you wouldn't understand-"

"You're right I wouldn't understand," she said, cutting him off. "He's dangerous, why can't you see that?"

"Calleigh he needed me," Eric said, raising his voice a little.

"Yeah well," Calleigh began, "we all needed you too."

Before Eric could stop himself, he started talking. "You're acting like what I'm doing is a sin or something...like I'm cheating or something."

That was it. If Eric wanted to go down that route, she could too. "And you don't think you're not?" Calleigh said, raising her voice. "Even if its not with another woman, you keep part of your life a secret." She let out a loud sigh, running her hand through the length of her hair. "That _man_ put a hit on your life. That _man_ almost got you killed. That _man_ had made you turn against your better judgment. I mean come on Eric, if you believe Alex Sharova isn't still tied to the Russian mob anymore...you're crazy." She noticed Eric sigh, but she couldn't stop herself. "When you start dealing with Sharova, they will start dealing with you and ultimately that will involve all of us. You're no longer living for yourself. When we married, we became _us _and when we had children _we _became responsible for keeping them safe. Don't you think our jobs are dangerous enough? I don't know about you but I don't want to put our children lives in danger."

Eric frowned. "Is that what you think? You think I'm putting them in danger?"

"Whether you know it or not, inadvertently you are." She fought with herself whether or not she should say that. She knew that Jayden and Landon meant the world to him. Looking at his sadden face, she regretted what she said and exhaled a deep breath. "I'm sorry. This whole thing has kind of gotten out of hand."

"He doesn't have anyone Calleigh," Eric said. "He doesn't have the luxury of family."

Calleigh bit her lip softly. As far as she was concerned, Alex Sharova brought that on himself. Why would Eric want to pursue a relationship with him. He had his parents, the ones that raised him. Maybe there were somethings that she would never understand. "Okay." she stated plainly. She turned her attention back towards the mirror and continued doing her hair.

Eric let out a quiet sigh as he headed towards the closet to pick out his clothes for the day. One thing he knew for sure was that this was probably far from over.

* * *

_Hope you guys enjoy the chapter! :)_


	6. Premonitions and Memories

****_Thanks you all so much for the reviews on the last chapter! As always, they are encouraging. :)  
_

**-Chapter 6-**

_**Premonitions and Memories**_

Sickly sweet. That was the best way Jayden could describe this smell. It was a familiar scent, but Jayden couldn't place it. She didn't know how she got here, she just knew it was...different. Taking a small step, all of Jayden's alarms went up; this was somewhere that she didn't need to be. She pulled out her phone, the signal read _searching..._; she definitely needed to get out of here right away.

Heading towards the direction that she thought was the exit, she stopped at the sound of talking. Although everything in her told her to continue on heading out, the curious side of her took over, and she found herself heading in the direction of the voices. Getting closer, she realized that she recognized these voices; one belonged to her best friend, the others belonged to some guys who were in a few grades higher than her. What was her friend doing here? They didn't hang out in places like this.

"You look like you could use some company."

Jayden jumped as the voice sliced through her silence; her daydreams...or ability to drift to her thoughts were going to get her in trouble one day. She turned her attention to the voice. Wrong. This wasn't a guy who was a few grades higher, hell he didn't even go to their school. He looked to be in his early twenties, he had black hair, tall and tanned even though he didn't fit the traditional Miamian.

He was cute...but that was her opinion. She knew for a fact that he was much to old to pursue, but that didn't stop Jayden from taking his hand and following him to the next room.

Her guards went down when she actually saw her best friend laughing and having fun on the other side of the room. Surveying the entire area, Jayden counted three boys. The only girls were she and her best friend. How did that happen? She looked at her friend again, she seemed to enjoy all of the attention.

The guy came back and sat down next to Jayden. Again, her guards went up. She'd come to know his name was Daniel, but she was told to call him Danny or Dan. He handed her a glass.

Jayden looked at it. Clearly it was alcohol. That much was evident from the smell – still, it wasn't quite the overly sweet smell that had invaded her nose for some time now...she still couldn't place that scent. Back to reality, Jayden pushed the drink away with her hand. "No thanks," she declined the offer.

Laughter erupted from the other side of the room and both turned their heads in the direction of the it. Jayden half gasped as she saw her friend suck on a lime and down a shot of whatever was in the shot glass. The other two guys cheered.

"You know, your friend is having a lot of fun, maybe you should try to relax as well." Dan ran a hand through his thick, black hair.

Jayden looked at her phone again, noting the time. It was 12:20pm.

"You need to be somewhere?" Dan asked, moving closer.

Jayden thought. "Yeah...I have something to do this afternoon." She tensed slightly as chills ran down her back. She needed to go now.

"Exactly what time do you have to go?" Dan asked, almost rhetorically. He'd asked in a way that he knew that Jayden wasn't going to leave...at least if he had something to do with it.

He was so close to Jayden that she could feel his hot breath on her cheek. The previous sweet smell left her nose as the alcohol on Dan's breath took over. That was all that she could take; she got up but as soon as she did, strong arms pulled her down again.

"You don't want to relax like your friend?" he asked.

"No I don't," Jayden yelled, prying herself away. It was of failed use. The more she fought, the more he pulled on her.

"I'm just trying to show you the good time that you could have," he said, moving in. He grabbed her arms and pinned them down and moved towards her neck.

"No don't!" Jayden yelled out."Please stop it!"

"Just wanna...show you...some fun," Dan said between kisses.

That smell was back and Jayden frustratingly shut her eyes. She opened them again only to see an older man on her. She looked around, darkness. There was no party. Her friend wasn't there. The other two guys weren't there. It was just her and this older man...

"NO!" Jayden screamed, now knowing exactly what was happening. She was being attacked, and she had to try to get out of this before it went further than it already had.

The guy let up, just enough to pull off Jayden's shirt. She couldn't understand how he'd down it so effortlessly. Her jeans were next to go...it would only be a matter of time.

"NO!" Jayden repeated, tears falling out of her eyes. She would not be a victim. Her parents taught her how to get out of situations like these. She swallowed and gained new pride. In one swift movement, Jayden kneed the guy as hard as she could between his legs. She knew that would stop him. He recoiled and she scooted back in the darkness to compose herself.

A door opened; Jayden had a chance to look at herself. Now, Jayden was more puzzled than ever. She was toddler Jayden...three years old and kidnapped. The two men: Hank Kerner and Stewart Otis, she knew their names. Why? None of this made sense...none except for the fact that she had a name for the sickly sweet smell. It was chloroform and the man who had it was coming her way...

"Jayden! Jayden! Jayden!"

Light brown eyes were the first thing Jayden noticed when she awaken on the couch. Was she having a nightmare? No, it couldn't be a nightmare...it felt far too real. But she was in her living room, on her couch, at her house and Landon was staring at her.

"Were you having a daymare?" Landon joked. Realizing that Jayden still had a serious look on her face, he spoke again, figuring she needed the clarification. "A daymare...you know, like a nightmare?"

Jayden then looked away as tears came to her eyes. She tried her best to blink them...she didn't want to cry in front of her brother.

"Hey, hey Jade," Landon said, regretting even making a joke in the first place. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "It was just a dream, okay. That's all." He wished his parents were home right about now.

"No it wasn't," Jayden said, the first tear falling from her eyes. "It was real. The kidnapping was real."

Landon hugged her. He heard about Jayden's kidnapping when she was younger and couldn't imagine how she felt. "Is that what you dreamed about?"

Goosebumps popped up on Jayden's arms. At this moment, all she wanted was to see her parents. She nodded her head 'yes'. "I remember...I think I remember what happened." More tears fell from her eyes.

Landon looked at his sister. He didn't know what to do. If he was born then, he probably would've killed her kidnappers...he wanted to kill them now for this. "I'm sorry Jade," Landon said.

"I...I still feel it," Jayden began. "Still smell it."

Anger was evident in Landon's eyes. Just like his dad, his jaw clutched. "Did..." Landon started. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, but however it went, there was no positive way to say it. "Did they touch you?"

Tears fell from Jayden's eyes again as she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." Then realizing how ridiculous this could be, she pulled away. "I don't know if they did or didn't. It was only a dream and no one knows if things that happens in dreams are real or aren't."

Landon didn't know what to say; he knew Jayden was still freaked out. Tears were still falling from her dazed-filled eyes. "I'll get you something to drink," Landon said, standing up and heading towards the kitchen. He knew this was bigger than he could ever imagine, so he pulled out his phone and called his parents.

* * *

_It's been a long time since I've updated so I just wanted to put something up. Of course this is mostly about Jayden and how she's putting pieces together about her kidnapping. Again, I'm not trying to portray Jayden as being 'weak' or anything, but she's 15, and she's got a lot going on. _

_Anyways, thanks guys for reading and I hope you review. :) _


	7. All Hell Breaks Loose

-Chapter 7-

_**"All Hell Breaks Loose"**_

It made her feel like a freak whenever she went to therapy and Jayden didn't need television to tell her that. Ultimately, she knew that seeing a therapist was meant to help her, but even that fact wasn't enough to ease her. Jayden was very pissed at her parents for making her do this...again.

The first time Jayden went to therapy was when she was nine years old. The school year had just started and after a while, Jayden's teacher had sensed that something was troubling her. She remembered how her teacher questioned her about her home life and if everything was okay. Jayden would tell her that it was okay and that she was fine. One day, Jayden had came to school with tears in her eyes and tears dried on her cheeks. She was sad and didn't know why.

Surely there had to be a reason. People just didn't cry for no reason, and that's just what nine-year old Jayden thought. Her teacher wanted to know what was wrong and Jayden told her that her grandmother had just died. That only lasted ten minutes because her teacher had called her parents and they had no idea what was going on.

After a parent/teacher conference, Jayden's teacher learned about Jayden's past, learned about what was possibly bothering her and suggested therapy. She'd mentioned that therapy would be a way for Jayden to process and cope with the things that happened and her parents agreed.

Two days out of the school week, Jayden went to see the school's therapist. The first trip was the best. The therapist asked a few questions, very simple questions, ones that Jayden thought were silly, but at the end of her visit, she got a lollipop.

Eventually, her class caught on to why Jayden was leaving the class twice a week and that's when the teasing began. She was labeled as a crazy...a psycho, and that hurt her. She begged her parents to not send her to therapy again. She insisted that she was okay and could handle her own issues by herself.

Once again, a parent/teacher conference was established and her parents learned that Jayden probably feels that way because of the teasing. Calleigh insisted that Jayden stay in therapy, but if teasing was too much of a problem, she should be moved to a different class. In Jayden's opinion, that was even worse. There were only three, fourth-grade classes and she was already in the middle-level one. If she got moved, she'd be placed in the last one and that class had issues within itself. Most of the students in that class had developmental and emotional issues. She'd be more of an outcast than she already felt.

Luckily for Jayden, her dad stepped in. Eric reminded Calleigh about his situation and how usually in order for therapy to truly work, they should seek out a therapist outside of school. That way, whenever Jayden went for a visits, nobody would know about it at school.

Eventually, Jayden started seeing a therapist on the weekends. It was when she eleven that the visits stopped. She'd become a master at keeping her feelings in check. Jayden didn't want to be perceived as weak in her parents eyes.

In her mind, another visit would mean that they would start prescribing the medication...and she felt strongly that they would do it now, since she began having trouble sleeping.

Jayden knew her parents thought she had a problem; maybe she did and it made her feel out of control. She hated having no control over her emotions or life. That thought alone brought a sting and fresh tears along the brim of her eyelids.

"Well since we have some time before the appointment," Calleigh began, breaking Jayden from her thoughts. "I was thinking about stopping for lunch. Any preference?"

At the moment, Jayden did not care. She didn't want to go to lunch. She didn't want to go to therapy. She didn't want to do anything right now but probably take a nap. Keeping her eyes and attention outside the window, Jayden shook her head no, not caring whether or not her mom noticed.

From the moment they'd gotten in the car, Calleigh noted Jayden's mood and how her body language was a reflection of it. It was very clear that Jayden didn't like therapy, and if she was completely honest, she didn't either. It made her feel less than a mother that she had to rely on outside sources to help. Given the current circumstances, Calleigh didn't have a lot of options. Jayden was having these nightmares all of a sudden, Eric was still holding secrets from her and work was too stressful. It was just too much on her right now. "Well," Calleigh started. "Wanna tell me what's wrong?"

"Isn't that for my _therapist _to ask?" Jayden sassed. The words slipped from her mouth before she had time to think about it. She wasn't trying to be rude, but she really wasn't in the mood. "I'm sorry," Jayden mumbled quietly. "I'm just not hungry."

Calleigh lips parted in shock; that was the first time Jayden had ever spoken to her like that. Part of her wanted to let it go. After all, Jayden did apologize and she knew Jayden was going through something. But the other part wanted to address it right away; she knew the saying well, '_give an inch, they'll take a mile' _and in so many words, if she let this go now, the next time would probably be worse and she didn't want that. "It's fine that you're not hungry," Calleigh began. She let out a breath of air. "But I need you to understand that you will not disrespect me. Is that understood?"

Jayden knew that was coming. She really hadn't intended on being rude and hated it came out that way. She nodded her head 'yes.'

"I want you to say it," Calleigh pressed.

"Yes," Jayden mumbled.

They rode the rest of the way in silence; Jayden's eyes on the trees, Calleigh's on the road. Jayden couldn't wait until this day was over.

**…**

Eric put the hummer in park in front of a house next to the ocean. He and Ryan were sent out to process this new crime scene. He didn't mind it at all...he would do anything to feel normal again. It was a feeling he hadn't felt since the recent situation with Sharova began.

He let out a deep sigh as hurt settled within his heart. Calleigh planned to leave him, planned on taking the kids with her. Not that she was planning to divorce, but Eric felt they were dancing very closely to that line. She'd told him that she couldn't trust him and she didn't feel safe in her own home. All that combined is what hurt him the most. In an effort to make amends, or before things got too out of control, he told her that he would leave the situation alone.

What else could he really do? He was deflated; for as long as he'd known Calleigh, she always trusted him. There was never a choice he had to make between his family and Sharova. All he ever wanted to do was protect his family, and to him that meant getting to the bottom of this situation before somebody got hurt.

He exhaled deeply.

"Long night?" Ryan asked, smirking a little.

"No, Wolfe," Eric said, half annoyed. Realizing that he came off too strong, he softened a bit. "It's just that judging from the size of this house, its gonna take all day to process it. I have to pick up Landon from practice today." As of now, the team knew nothing about what was going on with Eric and Calleigh. They didn't know of Eric running his personal investigation, and that's the way he wanted it. He and Calleigh's relationship had been exploited for too long in the labs.

He glanced at his watch. 1:30pm. He needed to be finished processing the scene and logging evidence in at CSI by 4:00. He'd promised Calleigh that he'd pick up Landon from baseball practice since she was already with Jayden at the therapist.

That in itself was a whole new problem. Jayden had begun have trouble sleeping, she was having nightmares and all was not right with her at the moment. Maybe it was for the best that he leave one situation alone.

Ryan opened the door, recoiling back in disgust. Decomp. And this was the worst kind. The medical examiner had already removed the body, stating that the DB was a bloater and popped before they'd gotten a chance to remove it. That along with the blood and urine smell, made this scene almost impossible to process.

"Let's just get this over with," Ryan said, wrinkling his nose. The thought of touching any of this was repulsive to him. Doubling up on the gloves, Ryan immediately got to work.

In the same manner, Eric did the same. He stepped over some broken pieces of glass and photographed it. Then in standard CSI protocol, he picked it up, examined it, bagged and tagged it.

Ryan still had a frown on his face as he collected biologicals from the couch and walls. He tucked the swabs in little boxes, his peripheral picking up movement. He turned to see what was going on, and in doing so, horror filled his mind. "Eric!" he shouted. He was too late. A shot rang through the air, and the next thing he knew, Eric was on the floor, injured. He pulled out his phone and placed a quick call to rescue.

Drawing his gun, Ryan proceeded to go after the assailant, not going too far because he needed to be sure that Eric would be okay, but he also needed to make sure the scene was secure. After he heard a car speed off, Ryan pulled out his phone again, this time calling Horatio.

He walked over to Eric. He was in bad shape. Blood pooled from his mouth. Eric's gloved hand was at his chest. Ryan bent down, removed his glove and placed his hand on Eric's wound. "You're gonna be okay," Ryan said. "Hang in there."

Eric gasped for air, choked as the blood blocked his air flow. His mind immediately went to the moments before. He definitely didn't have enough time to react. All he felt was the hot piece of molted lead pierce through his body, instantly making his blood run cold. Everything since that moment felt like slow motion. He forced himself to breathe. He was trying hard to hold on. He had his family to live for. His mind was slipping in and out of consciousness. Slowly Eric's brain was shutting down. Each breath suddenly became a struggle. The last thing on his mind was Calleigh, Jayden and Landon before he slipped into darkness.

**...**

****_Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! They mean so much to me! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! :) x  
_


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